Santa Clarita Valley taxpayers who wish to challenge local assessors’ valuation of their property can discuss the assessment or appeal their property tax bills at their local assessor’s office.
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“Thanks to Proposition 13, property taxes remain predictable and reasonable for California homeowners,” said Board of Equalization Member George Runner. “Even so, taxpayers should carefully review their bills and know they have the right to challenge any mistakes.”
The period to file an appeal began July 2 and ends Dec. 1 for Los Angeles County residents.
Different appeal periods apply to taxpayers who are appealing an assessment after a property was sold, underwent new construction or was damaged in a natural disaster or other calamity.
The California State Board of Equalization, or BOE, prescribes property tax rules and instructs local agencies on how to handle property tax appeals and seeks to make the process easy for taxpayers to navigate.
A series of videos explaining the process of appealing a property tax assessment is available on the BOE’s website.
While Santa Clarita Valley taxpayers might know property tax increases are limited by law, tax bills can vary greatly under certain circumstances, according to BOE officials.
Proposition 13, established in 1978, limits annual property tax increases to 2 percent.
However, many homeowners sought temporary reductions of their tax bills – a process allowed in 1978 by Proposition 8– when housing values plummeted during the housing crash.
The values of many properties in California were temporarily reduced by percentages much larger than 2 percent.
The 2 percent limitation under Proposition 13 does not apply to values under Proposition 8.
Now that property values are recovering, property taxes may be increased to reflect a new current market value or to restore the prior Proposition 13 value (including the 2 percent increases), whichever is lower according to officials.
While increases after a Proposition 8 reduction may exceed 2 percent, a property’s assessed value may never go higher than its value under Proposition 13, even when the current market value increases beyond the Proposition 13 value.
Different rules apply when a property is sold, undergoes new construction, or is damaged in a natural disaster or other calamity.
County assessors are required to value properties after those events, and tax bills can vary without regard to any previous assessed value.
Los Angeles County taxpayers who wish to appeal the assessed value of their properties can do so by filing an Application for Changed Assessment, form BOE-305-AH, with Susan Huff. Contact information for all 58 county assessors can be found on the BOE’s website.
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